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If you’re on a search and destroy mission for toxins in your home (and you are — right, friend?), a pretty good place to start is the bathroom.

Personal care products are rife with nasty and suspect stuff. If you still harbor any doubt we’re all citizens of a Chemical Age, just try reading aloud the ingredients of a typical bottle of shampoo. Then, when you’ve finally untwisted your tongue, you may want to reconsider your beauty routine.

Still, many products are still loaded with suspect chemicals. An environmental health group just last week sued several retailers for allegedly failing to label shampoos and otherproducts that containing a known carcinogen, cocamide diethanolamine (cocamide DEA). The Center for Environmental Health said it has a list of 100 offenders which allegedly run afoul of the excellent right-to-know label laws under Prop 65 in California.

For another example, here’s the list from a “natural” oatmeal lotion marketed for use on babies that contains at least 4 chemicals of concern (the “ick” you’ll soon learn how to spot yourself!):

In the meantime, you should know what’s safe and what’s, well, not so much. So I’ve compiled my own list of the worst offenders, as a rough guide. I also recommend checking on stuff in the incredible database on the Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) Skin Deep website. It allows you to search for products, providing a detailed analysis of ingredients and any chemicals of concern. You can also search by ingredient if a product’s not listed.

Because it’s hard to shop for better products when you have a toddler nagging at you, I’ve found that committing a few key abbreviations for certain chemicals to memory and learning how to do a quick label scan is an invaluable asset. Although its not an exhaustive list, the below is a half-decent crib sheet for when you’re standing in the makeup aisle cursing under your breath. (That’s probably me next to you, squinting at the teensy print and cursing audibly.)

Like with food, better products these days often have fewer ingredients, and organic ingredients, labeled as such. Their labels tend to include parentheticals with real words in them like (coconut) or (flax oil). On the other hand, if you see a long list of chemicals (especially those with numbers or a string of capital letters), that tends to be a good product to avoid. I read up from the bottom of the list, because that’s where the worst offenders often hide out.

So they’re everywhere, and worth avoiding when you can. As to cosmetics, here’s what’s tricky: sometimes they’re added to products under the generic term “fragrance,” so in addition to avoiding any ingredients with “phthalate” in the name, you should also steer clear of products containing “fragrance.” This is especially true for pregnant women, pre-teens and young adults, and babies, who are more vulnerable to their health hazards. Pick “no-scent” or “no fragrance” as your go-to whenever possible, and stay out of the department store perfume aisle!

Parabens are found in adundance on store shelves and have been linked to endocrine disruption, reproductive toxicity, immunotoxicity, neurotoxicity and skin irritation. They’re absorbed through the skin: U.K. researchers found detectable levels of six different parabens in twenty human breast tumors in a 2004 study.

3) Lead or Lead acetate

Lead acetate is a toxin that affects reproduction and development. It’s not as common as parabens or phthalates, but it’s a doozy. It scores a terrible “10” in the Skin Deep Database, and has been linked to cancer and is banned from cosmetics in Canada. Currently the FDA allows it in the U.S. except in products applied around the eyes. Do not buy any products containing this chemical and toss any you might own.

In addition, a recent study found shockingly high levels of lead in lipstick (especially the dark reds and browns I wore all though the late 1980s and early ’90s, trying in vain to steal Molly Ringwald’s look from “the Breakfast Club”). I will just note that this puts a potent neurotoxin on your lips, kinda’ close to your brain.

So there are a lot of nasty chemicals out there. And the “good guys” are hard to find. Due to lax marketing laws, many items labeled as organic actually contain few organic ingredients. Even worse, some more natural products, like those deodorant stones,are not as green as they seem.

Second, there is massive greenwashing in this area: terms like “all natural,” or “green” or “nutrient rich” are not defined in law, and therefore should not be taken seriously by you at all. (Just do as I do and pronounce aloud “wah wah wah wah” like the teacher in Charlie Brown’s class while standing in the aisle. Stores love that.)

Third, some prominent “natural” brands have actually been acquired by much larger companies, including Burt’s Bees and Tom’s of Maine, and some of the products have been reformulated to be less of a sure thing (though both companies remain far better than the average).

Sadly, the medical establishment is of little use here. When I took Maya to a skin doctor recently, I was shocked to see that the lotions with medication in them the doctor was handing out samples of all contained some of the worst offenders on the Ick List. Then I went home and read the bottles of our other children’s products, like the liquid suspensions of ibuprofen. All of them had suspect dyes and parabens. Nothing like dosing children with a sip of potentially hazardous yuck to fix a minor health problem!

Because of all this, the best approach is to simplify your routine. Just decide what products you really need on a daily basis and for the occasional special event, and toss the rest. I use much less stuff than I used to, and really, truly don’t miss it.

Then you’ll also have more time to look up the facts on what you do need: just check in the EWG database. They have great lists by product category starting with 0, or no known risk from chemicals. I aim personally for nothing higher than 2, and mostly 0s and 1s. I’m even stricter with kids’ stuff, and prefer 0s or 1s for that. I also check the individual listings for each product so that I know all of the ingredients are a-OK.

Olive and coconut oil make great hair conditioners (and detanglers for kids’ hair), and organic shea butter has been a life-saver for us for treating Maya’s mild eczema. Farmer’s markets are another good source for simply made products and home remedies.

Some Kind of Wonderful: Products We Actually Like

Below are a few of my favorite companies. These are items we’ve actually used and liked. In addition, I’ve indicated some more widely available and affordable substitutes from major retailers as stuff I’ve used in a pinch or when I wasn’t feeling spendy.

The blog for one of my favorite companies, Bubble & Bee, is amazing and very much worth checking out for its wealth of interesting information from Stephanie, the company’s thoughtful founder.

MJ’s Face and Body Lotion (I found this terrific all-natural, shea butter lotion made by a local vendor at the Steamboat, CO, farmer’s market, so it’s not in Skin Deep, but you can get it on-line. The texture is lovely.)

Badger Balm: I especially like their sunscreens and lip balms. (Skin Deep: 0-3).

Nurture My Body: I adore their shampoo, lotion and conditioner. Though pricey, you only need a dab so a bottle really goes a long way. They come in gorgeous cobalt glass bottles I am saving for DIY projects. (Skin Deep: 0-1).

Sappho Cosmetics: A great source for toxin-free makeup. A Canadian-based company that ships to the U.S.; their eye shadows, brushes, and liquid foundation are wonderful. (Skin Deep: N/A due to reformulations.)

Rejuva Minerals: More lovely toxin-free makeup. I am eagerly waiting for their pressed powder to be available this fall. (Skin Deep: 0-1).

Coastal Classic Creations: It looks like they’ve upgraded the packaging from the ones in the pictures above, which are a bit old now. Good make-up and all-natural skin care and body products. (Skin Deep: 0-3).

Note: None of these links are commissioned, though Sappho Cosmetics was kind enough to send me free samples of their make-up when I returned to work. While much appreciated generally, this did not influence my evaluation of their products.

Additionally, for reasons that elude me, the headings all ended up referring to ’80s movies. If you have more to suggest on that score, or products you personally use and like — no commercial posters allowed — then please weigh in! If there are other chemicals you avoid, I’d love to know that too.

Deep Steep has become one of my favorite brands for skincare. Most ingredients are organic, and the ingredient list is exclusively essential oils and extracts, with the exception of maybe a “fragrance” at the bottom of the list.

consumers must really be informed label readers of ingredients to avoid. Anyway, this is such an informative post. I really liked it. Thanks for the suggestions about makeup brands, I’ve been looking everywhere. Can i ask what is your favorite makeup brand? (non-toxic :D) I’ll be reading other posts!

I was actually shocked to see that Weleda gets from 0 to a high score of 7 on the Skin Deep database. That’s why they are not on the list — some products do have low scores, though, so I would check that brand on a product-by-product (and even by ingredient) basis.

i just replaced my entire bathroom with Ava Anderson products and LOVE them!! i have been looking for months to find quality products and have especially had trouble replacing my favorite chapstick and daily facial moisterizer which both have SPF. all the non-toxic sunscreens i tried (i think i have about 20 SPF chapsticks at home that were all fails) were thick, pasty or left a white residue. Ava Anderson was finally a winner! the SPF chapstick and facial moisterizer are my favorites but all the products i’ve purchased are great…everything from deodorant to toner to shampoo and conditioner. would highly recommend!!

This is awesome, so much good info here. Thanks for pulling this together Laura. I’m encouraged by Walmart’s announcement yesterday on toxic chemicals and am curious to see what 10 chemicals they chose to prioritize out of the gate… Fingers crossed!

Thank you for this! At the beginning of summer I cleaned out my makeup drawer – it was empty and I actually survived for three months without it. My ego and skin take a beating in cooler months, so I have to get things back in order. Winter skin needs help – this information is an absolute blessing to me – thanks.